*** Official The Eddie Big Wave Invitational Thread ***

JSC

Nep status
Mar 11, 2008
661
540
93
JJF to win Eddie, Pipe, Sunset and be 5 million points ahead of the pack come Trestles where he loses to Toledo in shoulder high surf with an air wind.
JJF is capable of winning The Eddie, Pipeline AND Sunset, then running the WSL field, building a commanding lead through Australia - but what has happened previously?

Yep, his knees - they can't take the stress of his surfing and his tendons and ligaments are not getting more flexible, they are getting stiffer with age.
 

kelly7873

Nep status
Jan 20, 2002
837
356
63
Honolulu
Trying to call a contest on 3 days in advance is silly. The way George did it back in the day was much better. If there was a swell they would put the contest on standby and George would sit in the lifeguard tower all night timing the sets and monitoring the buoys. Then he would make the call once it got light out.
Another big change is having 40 people in the contest, the first couple Waimea contests had 33 and I know Bradshaw complained that was too many. The next 5 Eddie's had 24 and the 2016 had 28 slots. They must be planning on using 8 hours and 10 48 minute heats. I pretty sure some of the past contests were done in 6 hours so they could get the peak of the swell.
 

Pico

Duke status
Aug 20, 2010
21,174
6,242
113
SUP Nation
It's weird how watching JJF surf is thrilling and watching the Brazilian surf is annoying.
JJF is a product of the NS and has had countless experiences in the water to prove himself and a personal knowledge that he is connected. It affords him a certain calm. Brazzo's not so much. Something to prove.
 

kelly7873

Nep status
Jan 20, 2002
837
356
63
Honolulu
Instagram has JOB in Japan, I guess he he's skipping the Eddie like he skipped the Backdoor Shootout. I thought he got robbed by the judges in the 2016 contest. In the first round he took off on a big one and fell going over the boil, they gave him 15 points. Slater had two waves in the same heat where he took off where JOB fell and got something like 60 and 35 points. The 60 point wave he stuffed someone (Twiggy?).
 

kelly7873

Nep status
Jan 20, 2002
837
356
63
Honolulu
The NWS forecast is for 30 - 40 in the AM and 35 - 45 in the PM with light east wind. I think it's going to go. It's not going be huge like 2016 or even 1990 but not the smallest one either. The news is calling for 40,000 people, the estimate for 2016 was 25,000. I guess I'm not going.
 

bonzer5fin

Duke status
May 9, 2006
18,455
2,272
113
your mom
makua, kemper, job, and nathan out. anyone else. alternates are gonna start with chris owens. he's a dark horse. so is rcj. many can win. will slater become the 1st 2 time eddie winner? john? should be pretty big, too. last look had it at 50' faces.
 

kelly7873

Nep status
Jan 20, 2002
837
356
63
Honolulu
Nathan said on YouTube that Billy is 50/50 on being in. I heard Chris Owens is taping up his food and will go if he gets in.
 

sh3

Michael Peterson status
Dec 1, 2008
2,403
3,115
113
I highly doubt Chris Owens is going. Chris was injured by a drop in at the Bay about a week ago. Feel bad for the guy - his first invite and he's injured a week from the event.
 

vanrysss

Billy Hamilton status
Mar 25, 2019
1,628
3,666
113
from Oregon, now SD
I'm flying back from the mainland tomorrow morning, to land at hnl around 10am. Fully expect to have to drive home along the east side. I'm sure it's going to be pandemonium traffic.
 

racer1

Tom Curren status
Apr 16, 2014
12,920
14,979
113
Honolulu, Hawaii
Trying to call a contest on 3 days in advance is silly. The way George did it back in the day was much better. If there was a swell they would put the contest on standby and George would sit in the lifeguard tower all night timing the sets and monitoring the buoys. Then he would make the call once it got light out.
Another big change is having 40 people in the contest, the first couple Waimea contests had 33 and I know Bradshaw complained that was too many. The next 5 Eddie's had 24 and the 2016 had 28 slots. They must be planning on using 8 hours and 10 48 minute heats. I pretty sure some of the past contests were done in 6 hours so they could get the peak of the swell.
You're the only person I've seen bring this up on here or social media.

My son played with my cousins son yesterday and when I was picking him up, I saw my uncle (he won the Eddie in the 90s). He said the same thing. They're gonna do 10 - 45 minute heats. Sets are usually 20-25 minutes apart on average, depending on swell. So some heats are only going to have one set. When it was 1 hour heats, every heat would get 2 to possibly 3 sets.

Also, thanks for giving George his flowers. The old dog truly loved the event and would NEVER give a green light until first light. He'd be doing math in the tower while listening to sets, making sure there'd be enough swell so that every contestant had a chance to win.
 
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